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Tips & Tricks of the Trade; Functions of Water in the Body

Now we all know we should be drinking water. Don’t we?

We may know in theory that we should be drinking water, but how much water and why?!

According to the Institute of Medicine the daily requirements for women are a total of 91 ounces (that’s about 2.7 liters) per day – from all food and beverages combined. Requirements for men is about 125 ounces a day (or 3.7 liters). Depending on your diet, about 25% of the water you consume comes from your food.

What does water do in our bodies? Well it does a number of amazing things.

Helps to regulate body temperature

Detoxifies the liver

Protects and lubricates our joints

Moisturizes the air in our lungs

Transports nutrients and oxygen into our cells

Helps with our metabolism

Helps our organs to absorb nutrients

Now bullet points are all good and interesting, but let me highlight a couple points further that will hopefully turn on a light bulb in your brain.

Fun Fact 1: For every gram of glycogen stored in our muscle tissue and blood stream, there are three grams of water retained along with it. Glycogen is the storage form of glucose in our muscle, liver and blood. Without glucose we don’t have the energy or the nutrients to perform muscle contraction. Now if we have too much glucose ( i.e. carbs, fruit, candy, alcohol) the muscle overflows excess glucose out into our blood stream carrying along all that water with it. Getting any light bulbs yet?! This is why we feel all gross and bloated after overeating or eating more than our muscles need for energy.

Drinking more water will help this process move right along and keep you from feeling bloated all day, maybe just in the morning.

Fun Fact 2: We have this amazing network of connective tissue which runs throughout our entire body. This connective tissue is called fascia. When fascia is healthy it is beautifully lubricated, looking something like a spider web with the mornings dew along its strands. Where do you think that lubrication comes from?! You guessed right. H20 my friends. Which means if we don’t have proper hydration, our fascia or connective tissue will become rigid and form almost cement between our joints and muscles. Some people refer to this as scar tissue. However, if you are immobile and dehydrated, this scar tissue can happen without injury. You simply have to be sedentary and dehydrated for fascia to start hardening.

The list could go on for hours about the importance of water. For now, we will just stick with a few keys points and hopefully this has encouraged you to go drink a glass of water or two. How about right now!!